Is there a European race car driver who is more of a fan of American racing than two-time Formula One champion and 2017 Indianapolis 500 darling Fernando Alonso?​Seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is sure there isn’t.

Alonso proved it to the American racing star during the NASCAR Media Tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He made it a point to meet Johnson, who was humbled by the experience.

“I’ve been a huge Alonso fan for a lot of years,” Johnson said. “Just mentioned to him that the way he came and ran Indy, I mean, certainly did an amazing job in the car, but outside the car … he brought a lot to the table when he raced here.”

Alonso stopped at the Charlotte Convention Center with his teammates who raced in the Rolex 24-hour road course race at Daytona International Speedway.

“I first became a fan through the NASCAR video games,” said Alonzo of Johnson. “I would always choose his car (No. 48) because I liked it. That was the first time I became a fan and obviously with the success he’s had over the years in motor racing, he’s become a legend in our sport. I have massive respect for him.”

Johnson was taken aback by Alonso’s desire to meet him.

“I’m honored I found out that one of his major stipulations of coming here (Charlotte) was to have a chance to meet me; that means the world to me,” Johnson said. “It was an honor to meet him.”Alonso expressed a desire to compete in the Cup race on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

​Jarrett drives

SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY Two-time Brickyard 400 winner Dale Jarrett, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, enjoys taking media members around the Roval. Jarrett, driving a Toyota Camry, is entering the backstretch.

Retired two-time Brickyard 400 winner Dale Jarrett was among the drivers for media passengers last month in Toyota Camrys on the 2.26-mile Roval road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Jarrett offered that it will be challenging for drivers as there are few places to pass and a couple of blind corners.

He gave a heartfelt presentation during the induction of the late famed engine builder Robert Yates into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Yates, who was 74 when he died in October, wrote his induction letter, which Jarrett read to the audience and members of Yates’ family.​Jarrett won the Brickyard 400 in 1996 and ’99 and was the Cup champion in ’99. The team is credited with the winner’s tradition of kissing the bricks.

The outspoken 2015 Cup champion contended that veterans are being overlooked in favor of young chargers like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Bubba Pollard, William Byron and Busch’s teammates, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez.

“We (veterans) have paid our dues,” Busch said. “All you’re doing is advertising all these younger drivers for fans to figure out and pick up on and choose as their favorite driver. I think it’s stupid.”

While making his remarks about the newer drivers, Busch apparently forgot the he was part of Gillette’s Young Guns commercials and a subject of an A&E network special during his first few years in Cup.Other drivers took quick notice of Busch’s comments.

Busch also expressed his displeasure of sharing information with teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing or seeing team data fed into a NASCAR data bank.​He did praise ex-teammate Matt Kenseth, who could not land a ride this season, for helping him reach the final three races in The Chase for three straight years.

A cake depicting the Roval, a combined tri-oval and road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was shared during the annual NASCAR Media Tour in late January.

SUBMITTED PHOTODefending NASCAR Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. has a knack for going fast on the track and getting to the track in his Beechjet 400A. Truex is a spokesman for Garmin, which has supported the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation for underfunded cancer initiatives related to ovarian and childhood cancers.

Defending Brickyard 400 winner Kasey Kahne admitted that he was the most exhausted he had ever been after capturing the 400-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Totally exhausted,” Kahne said during the NASCAR Media Tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I’ve been pretty bad after some races, but not at that level. It was tough. I don’t think I’ve ever been that dehydrated for sure. I was so worn out (because) of how hot it is.”

Kahne’s latter comment is one of the reasons that drivers welcome the new date of Sept. 9. The 400 is the final event to determine the 16-driver field for The Chase.

“Moving the race will give the fans an opportunity to enjoy it without the heat,” Kahne said. “The cars were hot; it was so hot and humid outside. So to move it and hopefully give some of these fans trying to watch a NASCAR race an opportunity to maybe enjoy it. I think it’s a good thing.”

Kahne said he believes that drivers who have not qualified for The Chase won’t be at a disadvantage because the setups at Indy are similar to Richmond (Va.) Speedway, which previously held the last race to set the field for The Chase.

The 400 was Kahne’s only Cup win last year in his final season with Hendrick Motorsports. He was replaced by rookie William Byron.

“To win Indy was nice,” Kahne said. “I’d been close there since I came into the sport, for whatever reason. … Every year we’ve been in the mix. So to finally win it was a great feeling. I’ll carry that win forever because that will be one of my biggest wins I get in racing.”

Kahne searched for a team and wound up with much smaller Leavine Racing and the No. 95 Chevrolet. The team utilizes Richard Childress Racing chassis and Childress Earnhardt Racing engines. He goes into the Daytona 500 with the new Camaro ZL 1

He is unfazed by being with his smallest team since Team Red Bull.

“I love every break that I’ve had in this sport and the opportunities that I’ve had to be part of it for so long,” Kahne said. “And again this year, it’s the same thing. I have a great opportunity.”

The three-time Coca-Cola 600 winner is in his 15th Cup campaign and has had 18 wins and 21 poles in more than 500 starts. The 2004 NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year continues to be among the series’ most poplar drivers.

With so many young drivers competing, Kahne said he believes there are kids who have the same dream that he had of becoming a full-time driver. He recalled being a kid with that same desire. He and his dad on Sundays would get up early, eat breakfast, turn the TV on at 9 a.m. (West Coast) and watch races.

Kahne has raced for the top owners, including the late Robert Yates, Ray Evernham, Richard Petty and Rick Hendrick.

Kahne continues to own a World of Outlaws winged sprint car team with drivers Daryn Pittman and Brad Sweet. Kahne and Pittman won the 2013 WoO title. Kahne plans to race in the first five WoO races in Florida and about 20 more races throughout the season. He also owns USAC midget and sprint cars teams.

“I wish there were more people that were involved and intrigued by it (NASCAR) and wanted to be part of it,” Kahne said. “I wish we could get back to that for the excitement level, but I still think the racing is very good. It’s super competitive.”​Kahne is optimistic he can be competitive even with a small team.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., features Lightning McQueen from “Cars,” with background on the vehicles in the animated movies that were inspired by various NASCAR personalities. Artists sketches for the movies are part of the display. Among the personalities included Paul Newman, Louise Smith, NASCAR’s first woman driver, car builder Smokey Yunick and ESPN’s Shannon Spake.

The hall also features the trophy clock that Ron Hornaday Jr. won in the 2000 Busch Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway, previously Indianapolis Raceway Park, in Brownsburg.

It is part of a display honoring four-time NASCAR truck series champion Hornaday, who was inducted into the hall earlier this year. He is the first West Coast and truck series driver to be inducted.

“NASCAR-nage!”That was a perfect description by a local television station of the mayhem Sunday in the 24th Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The rain-interrupted and crash-filled race took six hours, 18 minutes to complete, had three red flags, 14 cautions and 16 stock cars running at the finish – the result of 11 crashes with five multi-car accidents in the last 18 laps.

Kasey Kahne narrowly missed being taken out late in the race by a sliding Jimmie Johnson as they tried to go three-wide with Brad Keselowski in the third turn. Kahne out-dueled Keselowski on the last restart for his first NASCAR Cup Monster Energy win since August 2014 in Atlanta.

“I had a great restart, enginewise, gearingwise, and was able to clear Brad off Turn 1,” said Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet owned by Rick Hendrick. “It worked out perfect – we got the win.”

Kahne, 37, also survived severe cramps, dehydration and fatigue. After leaping atop his car, one of NASCAR’s more popular drivers later slumped near his car and needed an IV in the infield hospital before going to the winner’s press conference in the media center.

The Washington native has a grassroots USAC midget and sprint car background. He and his father had their shop in Gasoline Alley south of the track. He took his first ride around the Speedway in 1999 in one of the track’s tour buses. Kahne owns a World of Outlaws winged sprint car team, based in Mooresville, N.C.

Hoosier Ryan Newman was third in a Richard Childress-owned Chevrolet. He was not that critical of the crash-fest.

“I think what we saw was some crazy strategy, some crazy restarts,” the 2013 Brickyard winner said. “I’ve seen worse racing here, by far, as far as not being able to pass … I didn’t think it was ideal, but it was definitely crazy.”

Going for a three-peat, Kyle Busch led all but 15 of the first 102 before crashing into front-runner Martin Truex on Lap 111.​• The 250-mile Xfinity Lilly’s Diabetes race was held with experimental rules of a restrictor plate, higher rear spoiler and front air dams that led to a record number of passes and drivers being able to draft and slingshot down the straightaways. The rules could be adapted for next year’s Brickyard 400 but wouldn’t resolve the late-race crashes with a tightly-packed field.• The silver anniversary Brickyard 400 will be Sept. 9, 2018, the final race to determine playoff spots. • Drew Skillman of Greenwood became the first NHRA Pro Stock competitor to win two consecutive events this season Sunday in Denver, Colo. Sponsored by Ray Skillman Auto Group, Skillman defeated Bo Butner in the final round with a 6.916-seconds run against Hoosier Bo Butner. Skillman won two weeks ago in Joliet, Ill. He has six career wins. • Southsider Mark Tunny recovered from a crossover collision and won the 37th annual Sonny Thompson Memorial 100-lap Figure-8 Saturday at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Tunny did a complete 360-degree after being clipped by eventual runner-up Jeff Harmon of Louisville. Whiteland’s Charlie Reed, a retired figure-8 veteran and inaugural General Tire National Figure-8 champion, was inducted into the Speedrome Hall of Fame during on-track ceremonies.

SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, won at Phoenix earlier this season and expects to be in the playoffs. Newman won the Brickyard 400 in 2013 in his final season with team co-owner Tony Stewart.

By Al StilleySenior staff writer

South Bend’s Ryan Newman doesn’t have to worry about winning a Monster Energy Cup race this season to qualify for the playoffs.

Newman already has one win earlier this season at Phoenix in the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for team owner Richard Childress. It was the Hoosier native’s first win since 2013 in the Brickyard 400 and his first win for Childress. He snapped a 127-race winless skid in Arizona.

Getting into NASCAR’s playoff on wins has always been Newman’s goal, although he made it three of seven times on points.

“I don’t remember the last time I had a win and didn’t have to worry about getting in on points,” Newman said. “It is nice to have that off your mind.”

Before the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, Newman explained, “We want to do everything to the best of our ability and try to get those stage bonus points and as many regular season points as we can and have whatever cushion we can have to start the playoffs. And then each round of the playoffs so we have a better opportunity of racing for a championship at Homestead.”

Newman, 39, quickly added, “It still revolves around winning.”

Through 18 races he was among 10 drivers who have won at least once. Seven races remain to decide the 16 drivers in the playoffs, which means a lot of different winners would have to emerge to spoil Newman’s chances. A second would lock him into the playoff.

He reached the final four in 2014 without winning a race but was in contention for the Cup championship. He made the playoffs with a dramatic last-lap pass of Kyle Larson. He finished second in points to champion Kevin Harvick.

The Hoosier native is in his 16th full season in Cup, having raced for Roger Penske, Carl Haas, Tony Stewart and Childress. He is the only driver to have earned Rookie of the Year Honors in USAC’s national Silver Crown, sprint and midget series. He won the 1999 Silver Crown championship.

Newman, who has a vehicle structural engineering degree from Purdue, spoke out against NASCAR’s myriad of rules changes and tweaking races.

“We (teams) need the ability to make an advantage or create an advantage over other teams,” he said. “If we want to have every race car built exactly the same, then we need to have NASCAR start building them for us and just put decals on the doors.”

Newman, wife Crissy, and their two young daughters are right at home in Mooresville, N.C., where they operate Rescue Ranch for forgotten farm animals, reptiles and birds to provide educational experiences for young students who learn about caring for animals.

Newman hasn’t forgotten his roots that began by helping his dad build his first midget car at age 15 years after racing three-quarter midgets for 10 years. He eventually advanced to Silver Crown and to ARCA which led to his NASCAR ride with Penske.

SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his desire for gifts that can change lives rather than personal gifts from racetracks during his final full-time NASCAR season. Kentucky Speedway track reps presented Earnhardt with a Crosley jukebox for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

By Al StilleySenior staff writer

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has raced in the Brickyard 400 16 times. His team owner, Richard Hendrick, has drivers who have won the race nine times. And his father, Dale Earnhardt, won the race in 1995.

Junior announced earlier this year that it would be his final ride as a full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver.

So, Earnhardt, 42, should probably be emotional about the Brickyard 400 Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Well, not exactly.

You see, Earnhardt always thinks about winning or being in contention for the win or what his car is doing on every lap on the track during practice, qualifying and the race. It doesn’t really matter what track.

“It’s business as usual,” he said. “It feels just like any other race … you want the best out of your car, you want to win, you want an opportunity to win and that is all that really matters.”

In other words, his retirement tour is not messing with his mind, although he admits that it’s a bit different when he’s not at a racetrack.

“Things aren’t quite as tense or there is a little more ease of mind knowing there is a definite end (final race),” he explained. “I want to do as well at this track. But, yeah when practice ends, I kind of calm down and say, ‘Man, I’ve got to be cool and try to help my guys and Greg (Ives, crew chief).’ ”

He admits that being at the track and knowing it is his last ride is a tough balance.

Earnhardt sat out most of the 2016 season while recovering from the after effects of a series of concussions suffered in various crashes. He finished 13th in the 18th Cup race last year at Kentucky Speedway before sitting out the rest of the year to rehab.

Sitting out gave him time to evaluate his life and Cup career, which began 18 years ago and netted 26 wins.

Last year’s Brickyard 400 was one of the races he missed.

“It (returning) reminds you about how much we had to overcome and how much rehab went into trying to get healthy,” Earnhardt said. “I’m proud that we worked so hard to come back and worked so hard to get healthy. You start racing this year you kind of forget about last year, and I think we all do. We kind of forget about everything that happened, and little dates like this will bring those memories back and remind you to be thankful and fortunate.”

Earnhardt is winless at the IMS, where his average finish is 18th. His best finish in the 400 was third in 2002 and ’09.

He has won in 19 races this season. Ranking 21st in points, he has only seven more races to break into this year’s 16-driver playoffs.

“A win is going to be great any week, but this is a hero one week and a zero the next sport,” Earnhardt said recently at Kentucky Speedway. “You are going to go one day and feel like you’ve got it figured out and then reality is going to slap you in the face the next Sunday. … We need a win to get in the playoffs. This sport is so competitive and for us as a team it’s been a real challenge this year to sort of find our footing.”​After leaving the Cup series, Earnhardt will continue to be active as co-owner of JR Motorsports, which fields Chevrolets for four drivers in the Xfinity Series and two drivers in the Whelen All-American Series. He also left the door open to race in a few Cup and Xfinity races next year.

JGL Racing crew members push the No. 28 Winfield United Toyota driven by Dakoda Armstrong of New Castle to a hauler after an Xfinity technical inspection. Armstrong is in contention for a playoff spot.

By Al StilleySenior staff writer

Each season for New Castle’s Dakoda Armstrong has been a learning experience in the Xfinity Series.This year is no exception for the fourth-year driver who finished third in the recent 300-mile race at Daytona in the No. 28 Winfield Toyota.

“Something always changes,” Armstrong said in an exclusive interview earlier this month at Kentucky Speedway. “This year NASCAR took a lot of downforce (about 600 pounds on the front end) away from us, and that’s been big for our guys to make our cars go faster. So every track we’ve been to it’s been a new setup. It’s been a little bit of a new learning curve, but that’s NASCAR – they want to keep it fresh for everybody so that one team doesn’t dominate.”

Last year the Xfinity Series had a playoff system like the Monster Energy Cup Series, and this season the series has its races in three stages too. Armstrong, ninth in points, is a contender for an Xfinity top-12 playoff spot.

“Our cars have been better and we’ve improved as a team,” Armstrong said. “We’ve finished every race. We still need to find more speed on the mile and one-half tracks. Our short-track program has been great. We’re still improving every single week”

Armstrong is filled with confidence as he heads into the Lilly’s Diabetes 250 Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The race will be a learning experience for Armstrong and the entire Xfinity field. NASCAR has deemed the IMS race as a restrictor-plate race with the same plate used only at Daytona and Talladega superspeedways. He started from the pole last year at Daytona.

As Armstrong says, very little is the same about the upcoming race at the Brickyard, which will award bonus points to the top 10 at 30, 60 and 100 laps.

The racer said he believes the race will be more competitive. Rules also call for a taller rear spoiler and a front splitter package that features aero ducts on the lower front bumper.

Officials are hopeful that the rules will lead to improved competition on the relatively flat Speedway oval. “Our car is pretty good with the restrictor plate,” Armstrong said. “Indy is so flat so we want to bring an intermediate car. With traffic you’re going to need extra downforce. It cut us about 200 horsepower at Daytona and Talladega. If we are all stuck together, then I think there will be some big wrecks. If anything, it will be exciting for the fans and for all teams to see what happens.”

Armstrong will be able to spend extra time this week with family in New Castle. His father, Craig Armstrong, still fields race cars for USAC sprints for Dakoda’s cousin Caleb and a Super Series Late model for brother Dalton Armstrong.

Dakoda Armstrong and wife Carly, his high school sweetheart, returned to Hoosierland earlier this week. He likes the familiarity of being less than one hour from the Speedway, and he recognizes the importance of the race.

“You can tell this is a premier race for Xfinity. I may be biased because it’s my home track, but this is not just another weekend. It’s a cool track to go to. We always want to do well there.”

Practice is at 1 and 3 p.m. Friday with qualifying at 12:45 Saturday; the race follows at 3:50 p.m.​ Armstrong’s racing roots are in Indiana. He is a graduate and youngest champion (13 years old) of the Kenyon Midget Series, and he won an ARCA stock car race at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway. He was a developmental driver for Team Penske and previously drove for Richard Petty in the Xfinity Series.